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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Pastry Sketch Crawl

Last Saturday, January 22nd there was a Sketch Crawl marathon. Groups of artists gathered in Rio, Paris, Sydney, NYC, SF, etc. and went out sketching together. Naturalement I heard about it on Sunday, the day after. C'est toujours comme ca non?

I rarely go out sketching onsite, but I decided to create my own sketch crawl, just drawing pastry in various New York tea salons... First stop Pain Quotidien and this lush tarte framboise + a pot of mint tea. On a cold Sunday night the joint was buzzing...

I was nervous as a cat. I set up my tiny paint boxes,

And commenced painting with my sketchbook on my lap!

Not easy at all let me tell you :(

Yikes!

The folks at the next table wanted to know if I would eventually EAT that tarte..?

It was all I could do to figure out where to place the tarte on the paper, much less think of putting it in my stomach. (I took the #$@ thing home to study and nibbled off the raspberries before any serious studying took place - c'est la vie)

Voila!

My sketches tableside at PQ...

Who could resist drawing a honey bear?

Pas moi...

Et enfin - le finished painting

The same Paris bookshop offering yesterday's baking sets had this Draw-A-Horse set in the vitrine. Oh where is the how-to-draw-a-raspberry-tarte set SVP?

Aides moi!

This is my 'January' project (and February-March until I get to Paris and can do this properly). I'm in the early warming up stages of my Pastry Sketch Crawl.

Your final sketch at Le Pain Quotidien was perfect. HOnestly Carol, if I was able to make a mini gallery in our home of your cafe/pastry/Paris scene watercolors, I would do so in a heartbeat. I found it funny that you were nervous about your sketch crawl, but then I remembered how I always felt on our trips overseas taking pictures of us at the table and our meals and getting odd glances saying "why is she taking pictures of her food?"...methinks they must not be bloggers. Enjoy your crawl and pretty please post them...what a treat.

Carol, I think you are absolutely amazing to go out in NYC and paint anything in public. I struggle with going to a park to sketch/paint...doing it inside is very brave. The confined space with people asking me all kinds of questions would absolutely send me over the edge, so kudos to you for doing this. I am guessing that once you get to the end of March, you will not give it a second thought.

The work is awesome and thanks for a peek at your sketches. In my mind, they are some of the most amazing work a painter does.

Jenny:I was & still am very nervous about doing this..It's so different going out into a public place to paint, it really is.For one thing the refrigerator is not there as an instant refuge/distraction when the painting is not going so hot.And just everything is different - the lighting, the tools are tiny, there is a fear of messing up the table, spilling the paint water.AND I forgot to get up for over TWO HOURS and today my left hip (not my left foot:) hurts like hell and this never happens to me (i.e. the trips to the frig help in that repect big time)Sooooo....on verra bien as the French say.We shall hope for the best and hope that I get more comfortable doing this onsite.It definitely helps to get all this supportive feedback.BIG MERCICarolg

My head hangs in shame! WHY WHY WHY have I never considered the pastry sketch crawl? As an art form it cannot be improved upon!!!! It has EVERYTHING: art, "research", sweets! Once again, you have proved to be the Maitre de all things Pastry and Art. My hat is off to you (partly because I am hanging my head and it fell off) How's that for a visual?

Those are great, Carol! I bet if you sat off in a corner, without people all around, you'd feel less conspicuous? But I also bet people would LOVE to watch you. They're beautiful. Maybe next time you should put a donations cup out on the table! hahaaaaaa!

I've always loved your art, Carol, no matter the medium. But there is a freshness, & spontaneity,that is found in work done "en pleine aire,"which I love. And it is in these works. As a courtroom artist for over 40 years, I long ago got used to dealing with onlookers comments.And if they get annoying, you can always flick a loaded brush in their direction.

omg, yummmm .... miam ?? ...Carol, I am planning a trip to Paris in NOvember and I think you should know that I'll be using your site as a HUGE part of my planning :)))) ... and if you are there, I'd love to take you to tea! AND pastry, bien sur!

Bonjour PB~I just love the name "sktech crawl"~just my speed! I find sketching on site very awkward; like you said a "logistics" problem. But you must figure out the hip thing...The final painting was just right!I love the variety you provide us...Keep Crawlin'~Suzanne

Oh my "sweet girl"! Fabulous! You have inspired me~again! I will be traveling to Washington {DC} next week for my first Great Grandchild's baby shower. I am taking a daughter and my Beloved "Jacob The Four Year Old" with me. We are taking the train from Savannah, so that Jacob will have an adventure. I will surprise them both with their own small Winsor/Newton traveling watercolor sets onboard! I wish I could send you an armload of camillias from my garden. Merci, Meme